CHAPTER 1

CRASH LANDING

It was nap time on the pirate ship Driftwood. Captain Fishbeard and his crew had just feasted on lumpfish stew and octopus pudding. Now they were snoring and snorting like thunder.

Stinky Spike slept on top of a steaming heap of moldy green cheese. He woofed in his sleep, chasing after skunks and stink-bats in his dreams.

Zip, the monkey pirate, was supposed to be looking out for enemy ships, strange creatures, and other dangers of the sea. But he was fast asleep too.

So nobody felt the mighty gust of wind catch the sails and send the Driftwood speeding toward shore!

CRAAAAACK! The sound of the crashing ship jolted the pirates wide awake.

“Shiver me timbers, we’re under attack!” bellowed Captain Fishbeard.

“Yikes! Is it a sea monster?” cried Zelda, the first mate.

Spike scampered to the bow. “Ah-roo! Ah-roo! It’s no monster. We’ve crashed into a ship!”

Captain Fishbeard surveyed the damage. “Arrrgh! Zip, you lazy rascal. You fell asleep on the job and nearly sank our ship!”

From below roared a mighty voice, “My ship! My beautiful ship . . . she’s ruined!”

The pirates scurried to the railing and looked down. Standing on a floating pile of timber was a small man wearing a crown. “You wretched pirates, look at what you’ve done!” he cried.

“Arrrgh, that’s King Seabreeze, the ruler of Beeswax Island,” whispered Captain Fishbeard.

“You bumbling buccaneers! You’ve shattered my favorite ship! I don’t know if we’ll ever be able to repair her,” whimpered King Seabreeze. He began to sniffle, then sob. Great tears ran down the king’s cheek.

“Is the king crying?” whispered Zelda.

King Seabreeze wiped his nose on his royal sleeve. “NO! I am not crying. A king never cries!”

“Arrrgh, we can help you fix your ship,” said Captain Fishbeard.

“Your Majesty, would you like some moldy green cheese? Rotten smells always cheer me up when I’m feeling sad,” said Spike.

Before the king could answer, one of the guards called out, “Your Majesty, the Royal Pup is missing!”

“Princess Petunia will never forgive me if we’ve lost her beloved dog, Honey!” gasped the king.

“Arrrgh, we can help you find the pup,” said Captain Fishbeard.

The king stamped his foot. “You fools have done enough. You’ve destroyed my ship and scared off the princess’s Royal Pup. Guards, seize them! Throw these stinking pirates into the dungeon!”

The king’s guards rounded up the pirates and marched them through King Seabreeze’s palace to the cold, dark dungeon. The pirates shivered as the guard locked the door to their cell.

“Arrrgh, we need to find a way out of this jail,” said Captain Fishbeard.

Zip tried to squeeze through the bars. Spike tried to dig through the floor. Zelda even tried to pick the lock. It was no use. The pirates were trapped.

Days passed and still the pirates could not escape the king’s dungeon. And a dungeon was no place to be stuck with Stinky Spike.

The globs of cheese, scraps of seaweed, and crab claws that were trapped in his fur had a mighty odor.

“Spike stinks worse than a buzzard’s belch,” exclaimed Zip.

The pirates tried to clean Spike. They scrubbed him with wooden spoons and tin cups. They brushed his teeth with fish tails. They bathed him in a bucket of rain water.

“Ah-roo, ah-roo, that’s enough,” howled Spike. With a mighty shake, he sent gobs of moldy green cheese, crusty crab claws, and flaky fish scales flying in all directions. It was no use. The pirate crew could do nothing but pinch their noses to escape Spike’s mighty stink.

That night, as the pirates tossed and turned, there was a noise outside the dungeon. Slowly, the door creaked open. A young girl stepped into the dark room.

“Pssst. Pssst. Wake up, you stinky pirates,” whispered the girl.

“Arrrgh, who are you?” grumbled Captain Fishbeard.

“Shhhhh . . . I’m Princess Petunia. Is it true one of you has a super sniffer?” asked the princess.

“Arrrgh, it’s true. Spike’s the pup you’re after,” whispered Captain Fishbeard.

“Yarf! That’s me,” said Spike.

“Is your sniffer as powerful as they say? Can you use it to find anything?” asked Petunia.

“Yes, Your Highness. What’s missing?” yipped Spike.

“Haven’t you heard?” asked Petunia. “Ever since you pirates crashed into Daddy’s ship, my pup has been missing. Her name is Honey, and she’s my best friend. Can you help me find her?”

“Finding a missing dog will be easy for a sniffer like mine. I’ve got the most powerful nose on the seven seas,” boasted Spike.

“I’ll free you from this dungeon so you can lead me to Honey. But we must be quick. If the king finds out my plan, he’ll be very unhappy,” said Petunia, holding her nose.

“Arrrgh! What about us? We can’t rot in this dungeon forever,” said Captain Fishbeard.

“If Spike finds Honey, the king will set you all free. I promise,” said Petunia.

“Arrrgh, good luck, Spike. You’re our only hope out of this mess,” said Captain Fishbeard.